The present invention generally pertains to devices for dispensing fluid medicines. The present invention more particularly pertains to such devices that are designed to increase the ease with which a patient may dispense medicine and to increase patient compliance with dosing instructions for the medicine.
Ease of dispensing fluid medicines and compliance with dosing instructions are primary concerns with all patients. In particular, elderly patients, or other patients lacking sufficient strength and/or dexterity in their hands, often experience problems dispensing medicine from the small, plastic dropper bottles typically used for fluid medicines. In addition, all patients, including elderly patients, sometimes forget to take their medicine at the appropriate interval as prescribed by their physicians. Furthermore, physicians must typically rely upon their patients to comply with the dosing regimen for a medicine. Any feedback received by a physician regarding compliance typically comes from the patient, as well. While important for all medicines, the above concerns become increasingly important for medicines where repetitive, frequent administration are required, such as medicines for the treatment of ophthalmic conditions such as glaucoma.
The literature reveals several devices that attempt to address certain of these issues. A plastic casing that receives a conventional plastic eyedropper bottle and has sufficient flexibility to allow a user to squeeze the bottle and dispense a drop by squeezing the outside surface of the casing has been marketed in the United Kingdom under the name Opticare(copyright). The casing provides a greater surface area for the patient to hold the bottle and thus helps patients with minimal dexterity who experience difficulty holding and manipulating small bottles. European Patent No. 0335513 discloses a holder for a plastic eye dropper bottle having dual handles that help patients with minimal strength in their hands to squeeze the bottle and dispense solution. However, the handles of this holder create portability and storage issues and are somewhat awkward in appearance. U.S. Pat. No. 6,423,040 to Benktzon et al. discloses an eye fluid applicator having a pumping mechanism with a button pushed by the user to dispense medicine. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,347,453 and 5,495,961 to Maestre and U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,911 to Perrone disclose portable devices for holding an eye dropper bottle that can be programmed to notify the patient of the time for taking medication.
Despite these attempts, a need still exists for an improved device for dispensing fluid medicines that addresses all the above-described physiological and compliance concerns, maximizes patient safety and ease of use, and does not suffer from the limitations of existing devices.
The present invention is directed to a dispensing device for fluid medicine. The device includes a housing having an opening leading to an interior, a first aperture, and a second aperture. The device also includes a plastic dropper bottle at least partially disposed in the interior through the opening. The bottle has a container holding fluid medicine to be dispensed and a nozzle with a third aperture in fluid communication with the container. The device further includes a drop counter switch disposed in the housing and a lever rotationally coupled to the housing. The lever has a first flange disposed in the first aperture for causing the bottle to dispense fluid through the third aperture. The lever also has a second flange disposed in the second aperture for operative engagement with the drop counter switch upon the first flange causing the bottle to dispense fluid through the third aperture.